Mechanical gas producers



F. J- WEST ETAL MECHANICAL GAS PRODUCERS Dec. 9, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 23, 1948 Bees, 9, 1952 F. J. WEST ETAL MECHANICAL GAS PRODUCERS 3 SheetswSheet 2 Filed Sept. 23, 1948 2, humps IJ New .9, 1952 F. J. WEST ETAL 2,521,116 MECHANICAL GAS PRODUCERS Filed Sept. 23, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 IIII Patented Dec. 9, 1952 MECHANICAL GAS PRODUCERS Frederick Joseph West and Ernest West, Manchester, England, assignors to Wests Gas Improvement Company Limited, Manchester, England, a British company Application September 23, 1948, Serial No. 50,864 In Great Britain October 29, 1947 3 Claims. (Cl. 43-76) This invention relates to mechanical gas producers which can be fed with coal or coke and has for its object to provide an improved construction of producer which has high thermal efiiciency in that there is a minimum loss of heat by the gas delivered from the fire bed to the gas outlet, the construction also ensurin that any tar vapours which may arise during gas generation are effectively cracked and fixed in the producer, so obviating the necessity for any separate purifying plant which would involve a considerable loss of thermal efiiciency. The improved producer is particularly advantageous on account of its thermal efiiciency for use in providing gas for the combustion chambers by which vertical coal carbonising retorts are heated, whilst when coal is the fuel in the producer, some of the gas from the latter may be used as a diluent for the gas from the retorts.

The invention consists in a gas producer having its gas offtake suspended centrally within the producer below the fuel feed inlet, with its open bottom at the level of the firebed, the ofitake being lined internally with refractory material so that the generated gas is retained at a high temperature whilst, passing from the producer and through the ofitake and any tar vapours arising from the fire bed are effectively cracked and fixed in the ofitake itself, whilst a reserve of fuel is carried above the top of the gas offtake.

The invention further comprises the arrangement in which the gas offtake is suspended from joists extending across the upper cool part of the producer with a cone shaped canopy over the top of the offtake to direct the fuel to the annular space between the wall of the producer and the gas ofitake, the joists also being encased in concrete where they pass through the fuel space beyond said canopy.

The invention further comprises the arrangement in which a poking passage extends vertically through the top of the gas-offtake and the canopy and is beneath the fuel inlet to the producer so that the fire bed can be readily poked.

The invention further comprises the provision of an observation passage extending from the outside of the producer into the gas ofl'take adjacent to the firebed at such an angle that direct observation of the fire-bed can be made therethrough.

The invention further comprises the provision of an observation passage extending from the outside of the producer into the gas offtake in alignment with the cylindrical horizontal portion of the gas ofitake in order that observation can be readily made of the gas leaving the producer.

Referring to the accompanying explanatory drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation on the line l--l of Figure 2 and Figure 2, a sectional elevation on the line 2--2 of Figure 1 showing a gas producer constructed in one convenient form in accordance with this invention.

Figure 3 is a sectional plan on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view on the line 4 of Figure 2.

The fuel is fed into the producer at a and is delivered over and around the gas offtake b and descends to the grate at v.

The gas offtake is suspended from the joists c which are carried by brackets d from the producer casing e. The metal frame 1 of the offtake is bolted to the bottom flange of the joists 0 and is lined with refractory material g. The bottom or'mouth h of the ofitake is at the level of the fire bed and not in thecooler region at a higher level so that the hot gases delivered from the fire bed pass directly to the outlet without cooling. The dimensions of the mouth 71. of the offtake are such that the fuel beneath it lies at the angle of repose. v

The joists c are embedded in concrete which is shaped to a conical form 2' as shown which directs the fuel to the annular space 9' around the gas offtake. Each joist is also embedded in concrete which is tapered to itstop as shown in Fi ure 4 to facilitate the descent of the coke or fuel.

as it passes over the joists.

A poking passage is extends vertically upwards:

through the conical concrete 1 on the top of the? olftake. This passage is normally closed by a.

plug which can be readily removed from above, and when it is removed and the diverting baffies; m removed from the fuel feed inlet at a, ready access can be obtained to the firebed beneath the: oiftake for poking purposes.

There is an observation passage 11. extending from outside the producer into the gas ofitakei adjacent to the firebed at such an angle that di rect observation of the firebed can be readily made therethrough. A further observation pas-- sage at 0 may extend from the outside of the: producer into the gas oiftake in alignment with, the cylindrical horizontal portion p of the gas: offtake in order that observation can be readily made of the gas leaving the producer.

The gases leaving the oiftake pass into a dust extractor q formed of refractory material in the producer setting itself, where it deposits its dust content. The wall of the dust extracting chamber may be provided with projections 1' which trap the dust thrown against the wall as the gas travels around a partition 3 extending partly across the chamber and having similar dust arresting projections t thereon. There is a minimum loss of heat in the dust extractor.

By taking the centrally suspended gas offtake b down to the fire bed, we obviate the passage of the generated gas through the relatively cool fuel being fed by gravity to the fire bed, so that the gas is retained at high temperature whilst passing from the producer through the refractorylined offtake. This construction ensures that any tar vapours arising from the fire bed are effectively cracked and fixed in the ofitake itself.

By maintaining a constant depth of fuel bed between the reserve of fuel above the suspended gas offtake and the fire bed or reaction zone at u, we ensure uniform quality and temperature of gas produced.

What we claim is:

1. A gas producer, comprising a firegrate, a gas offtake of right angle form with its inlet mouth centrally disposed in a horizontal plane within the producer at the level of the firebed and its outlet extending through the side wall of the producer, a refractory lining within said offtake, forming an insulation between the gases and the fuel surrounding the offtake, a new fuel inlet centrally above the offtake, girders extending across the producer above the offtake, means connecting the offtake to the girders, a conical concrete canopy above the offtake and beneath the new fuel inlet, in which parts of the girders are embedded, for directing the fuel around the offtake and insulating it from the top of the offtake, and a dust extractor arranged within the setting immediately at the side of the producer through which the gas offtake outlet extends, to receive the gases from the oiftake, such extractor comprising a cylindrical wall, internal projections on the cylindrical wall, and a partition, directing the gases around the inner surface of the cylindrical wall so that the dust is trapped by the projections.

2. A gas producer, comprising a firegrate, a gas offtake of right angle form with its inlet mouth centrally disposed in a horizontal plane I within the producer at the level of the firebed and its outlet extending through the side wall of the producer, a refractory lining within said offtake, forming an insulation between the gases and the fuel surrounding the offtake, a new fuel inlet centrally above the offtake, girders extending there being a poking passage extending vertically through the canopy and the top of the gas offtake, beneath the fuel inlet, and observation passages extending from the outside of the producer into the gas offtake to allow observation of the fire-bed and of the outlet from the offtake.

3. A gas producer, comprising a firegrate, a gas offtake of right angle form with its inlet centrally disposed within the producer at the level of the firebed and its outlet extending through the side wall of the producer, a refractory lining within said olftake, forming an insulation between the gases and the fuel surrounding the offtake, a new fuel inlet centrally above the ofitake, girders extending across the producer above the ofitake, means comiecting the offtake to the girders, a conical concrete canopy above the offtake and beneath the new fuel inlet, in which parts of the girders are embedded, for directing the fuel around the offtake and insulating it from the top of the offtake, there being a poking passage extending vertically through the canopy and the top of the gas oiltake, beneath the fuel inlet, and observation passages extending from the outside of the producer into the gas offtake to allow observation of the firebed and of the outlet from the offtake, and. a dust extractor arranged within the setting and immediately adjacent the side of the producer through which the gas offtake outlet extends, to receive the gases from the oiftake prior to substantial cooling thereof, such extractor comprising a cylindrical wall, internal projections on the cylindrical wall, and a partition, directing the gases around the inner surface of the cylindrical wall so that the dust is trapped by the projections.

FREDERICK JOSEPH WEST. ERNEST WEST.

REFERENCES CITED following references are of record in the this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS file of 

1. A GAS PRODUCER, COMPRISING A FIREGRATE, A GAS OFFTAKE OF RIGHT ANGLE FORM WITH ITS INLET MOUTH CENTRALLY DISPOSED IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE WITHIN THE PRODUCER AT THE LEVEL OF THE FIREBED AND ITS OUTLET EXTENDING THROUGH THE SIDE WALL OF THE PRODUCER, A REFRACTORY LINING WITHIN SAID OFFTAKE, FORMING AN INSULATION BETWEEN THE GASES AND THE FUEL SURROUNDING THE OFFTAKE, A NEW FUEL INLET CENTRALLY ABOVE THE OFFTAKE, GIRDERS EXTENDING ACROSS THE PRODUCER ABOVE THE OFFTAKE, MEANS CONNECTING THE OFFTAKE TO THE GIRDERS, A CONICAL CONCRETE CANOPY ABOVE THE OFFTAKE AND BENEATH THE NEW FUEL INLET, IN WHICH PARTS OF THE GIRDERS ARE EMBEDDED, FOR DIRECTING THE FUEL AROUND THE OFFTAKE AND INSULATING IT FROM THE TOP OF THE OFFTAKE, AND A DUST EXTRACTOR ARRANGED WITHIN THE SETTING IMMEDIATELY AT THE SIDE OF THE PRODUCER THROUGH WIHCH THE GAS OFFTAKE OUTLET EXTENDS, TO RECEIVE THE GASES FROM THE OFFTAKE, SUCH EXTRACTOR COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL WALL, INTERNAL PROJECTIONS ON THE CYLINDRICAL WALL, AND A PARTITION, DIRECTING THE GASES AROUND THE INNER SURFACE OF THE CYLINDRICAL WALL SO THAT THE DUST IS TRAPPED BY THE PROJECTIONS. 